The ups and downs of attempting to go a whole year without buying any new clothes...

...without becoming a naturist, as the title suggests

Saturday 1 January 2011

October - How do you define cheating?

I have mixed feelings about this month; in a way I feel like I have already failed, but when I think about it more, the amount I have spent on clothes this month is probably half of what most people spend every month.

As I've already mentioned, I don't really enjoy shopping, so when my partner decided that he felt like wandering round some Bristol shops one Saturday, I wasn't massively excited! In hindsight, I shouldn't have gone; it was a disaster! I had been struggling a little bit with clothes for work; feeling more and more that everyone else has a different outfit for every day of the term. It encouraged me to dig out some scarves and belts etc. that I hadn't worn for ages, just to try to make my repetitive clothes repertoire more exciting! But I was still managing to go to work clothed and clean!

All of my work clothes in the past have come from Esprit, and I always see something I like when I go in there, so it was probably a stupid decision to go in. But I like to think I have self control...

I ended up buying a woollen tunic/shift dress; identical to one I already have, but in a different material. I know, I know, it was new, I have failed. But here I go with a load of waffley justification...

It was £62 and very good quality. The one I already have has lasted me three years (and is still perfectly fine). That's only around £20 per year, which is very good... and much better to buy one dress to last all three than to buy one new one every year... don't you think? Someone please agree with me!!

So my conscience is eased slightly by this: I didn't spend £60 in Primark, buying things which would only last a few months and then need replacing and, in doing so, fund any of their horrendous schemes. And yes, I'm sure that someone can find some unethical 'dirt' on Esprit as well, but at least their clothes last, and so I need less clothes, less often.

Anyway, I could rant about that for quite a while, but I'm sure you're already bored, so I'll save that for another time and give you my list of other, legitimate purchases this month:
New bra (threw away three) £18 from La Senza
Pack of 5 pants (threw lots away) £6 from M&S
Pack of three black tights (laddered all the others) £5 from ASDA 
Navy blue skirt for work (GAP) £5 from Oxfam

And another, not legitimate and probably not remotely justifiable one... I bought a wedding dress for £27 in Cult Clothing. Not what you're picturing when you read 'wedding dress'; just a white, lacy tunic dress to wear, with tights and boots to the registry office part of our wedding in May. Not bad I suppose, considering that that is likely to be the least ethical part of the whole thing!

So, £123 spent in October, £118 of it on new clothes. Very mixed feelings about that. Definitely a low point of the year I feel.

So come on, admit it; who is thinking 'well I'm not going to read this any more, she's totally failed already'? 

Must do better next month...


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